Kristol: GOP Should Compromise on Taxing Millionaires

Conservative columnist and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol said on Sunday that President Barack Obama is likely to pass “major consequential legislation” in his second term and he urged the GOP leadership “to pull back” on Republicans in the House and Senate.

“Let people float new ideas. Let’s have a serious debate,” he said, appearing on Fox News Sunday.” “Don’t scream and yell if one person says, ‘you know what, it won’t kill the country if we raise taxes a little bit on millionaires.’ It really won’t I don’t think.”

Kristol said Republicans should reconsider President Obama’s offer to avert the fast-approaching fiscal cliff.

“I don’t really understand why Republicans don’t take Obama’s offer to freeze taxes for everyone below $250,000,” he said. “Make it a million? Really? The Republican Party is going to fall on its sword to defend a bunch of millionaires, half of whom voted Democratic and half of whom live in Hollywood and are hostile.”

Kristol predicted that a budget deal will pass next year.

“And It will be an Obama-type budget deal much more than a Paul Ryan-type budget deal,” he said. “Elections have consequences.”

He said that both parties need to hold a “totally vigorous open debate” to solve the nation’s budget crisis.

“I don’t think the answer is to be more moderate or is the answer to be more conservative,” he added. “The answer on some issues is going to be fresh thinking which will be taken as moderate. And some issues actually be more conservative.”

Conservative columnist and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol said on Sunday that President Barack Obama is likely to pass “major consequential legislation” in his second term and he urged the GOP leadership “to pull back” on Republicans in the House and Senate.